


Troubadour

by KB9VCN



Category: UTAU, Vocaloid
Genre: Almost but not quite explicit, Alternate Universe - College/University, Humor, Other, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-18 21:18:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13108704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KB9VCN/pseuds/KB9VCN
Summary: Published 22-Dec-2017; humor/romance; about 3900 words.For the31_days"you are safe here" prompt (posted to AO3 only).  There's some dialog in Part 2 that matches the prompt.This contains nudity and almost-but-not-quite explicit adult humor.  Reader discretion is advised.





	1. Summer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Published 22-Dec-2017; humor/romance; about 3900 words.
> 
> For the [**31_days**](http://31-days.livejournal.com/) "[you are safe here](https://31-days.livejournal.com/3330148.html)" prompt (posted to AO3 only). There's some dialog in Part 2 that matches the prompt.
> 
> This contains nudity and almost-but-not-quite explicit adult humor. Reader discretion is advised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back when I was making MMD comics on DeviantArt, I fell in with a few Ruko/Lily crack-shippers. I made a few single pictures and comics with Ruko/Lily content, and if I hadn't suddenly Rage Quit MMD, my next major MMD project would have been the story of how Ruko and Lily got together in my "main" Vocaloid/UTAU fanon.
> 
> This is NOT that story. I'm still hoping to try MMD again someday, and to make that story as originally planned. (I don't have as many "somedays" left as I used to - as I write this, I'm 48 years old - but who knows.)
> 
> THIS story started as a few ideas I first had for the comics very early on, but I realized that I wouldn't be able to use them in MMD. And then, the ideas turned into another college AU, and it took on a life of its own, and it even grew into a four-part story. This is NOT an open-ended serial, and I have no plans to continue it further.
> 
> Two warnings. I purposely left Ruko's gender out of this AU, and I tried to write Ruko such that she (he?) could be read as either female or intersex. I hope that this doesn't disappoint or offend anybody, but Ruko's gender was never the point of this AU. The point, of course, is Fun With Lily.
> 
> And while I generally don't write explicit stories, I decided to write this one as near-explicit as I could. Let's face it, Lily is pretty much a fetish sex-doll, and Ruko deserves to have some fun too.

Most people would have been annoyed by the constant noise to be heard from a basement apartment under a campus-town coffeehouse. Fortunately, Ruko Yokune wasn't like most people.

She found the not-quite audible voices of the staff and customers comforting. The voices kept her company without distracting her. And the constant grinding and gurgling of the coffee and chocolate machines behind the counter were mostly muffled, and they also served as background noise that Ruko found soothing, like white noise played in an office.

And by a happy coincidence of acoustics and architecture, when the coffeehouse hosted open-mic nights or scheduled local musicians for the evening, the sound from that corner of the coffeehouse was much clearer than the other noise. It was as if Ruko had one of the best seats in the audience, but from below the stage instead of before it. This suited Ruko— while she enjoyed the music, she did not enjoy spending time in the coffeehouse when it was crowded, and she was perfectly happy to listen by herself.

The best part of all was that Ruko's small noisy basement apartment had been slow to rent out, even though it was close to campus, and so the rent was dirt-cheap. Not that Ruko didn't have money— far from it— but she enjoyed living the frugal lifestyle of a typical college student while saving her allowance for occasional indulgences.

The coffeehouse had become much quieter with the start of summer break— Ruko's second summer break following her sophomore year of college. But live music was still hosted every Friday night, and since the start of summer break, the same musician had played a regular Friday night show.

Ruko looked forward to Friday nights with this musician. She had not yet seen the musician, but she also had never missed a show. Ruko was not an active musician herself, but she had had piano lessons as a child, and she could tell that this musician was a talented guitarist. At times, it seemed as if the musician were hiding her skill, occasionally improvising while mostly playing simple chords on her acoustic guitar.

But lots of people could play guitar. What drew Ruko's attention most was the musician's voice— her sweet sexy voice.

And finally, one hot Friday evening in July, Ruko found herself wanting both an evening coffee and a look at the musician whose voice she enjoyed.

The coffeehouse owner and staff knew Ruko well. Besides being their tenant, she was a regular customer, and she also occasionally helped the less technically-inclined baristas with the coffeehouse wi-fi server. Her favorite latte was made in short order, and she carefully carried it around a corner for a first look at the musician.

Her first thought was of how slight the musician was. Most people were smaller than Ruko, who was nearly two meters tall and of a powerful build. But something about the musician made her look especially ethereal.

 _It must be her hair,_ Ruko thought as she made an indirect path towards the musician. Ruko eyed her long loose blond hair that fell to her waist and covered most of her face, as she sat on a stool and leaned over her guitar. _She's skinny,_ Ruko thought, _but that hair makes her look even smaller... like an elf, or a fairy, or something._

Ruko suddenly realized that she had walked right up to the musician without even thinking. _Oops_ , she thought with sudden worry. _I don't want to stand over her and intimidate her with my height. I had better back off—_

The musician looked up from her guitar. Blond locks parted to reveal wide blue eyes that looked back at Ruko in surprise.

But then, literally without skipping a beat, the musician smiled a sweet smile and winked at Ruko.

Ruko nervously glanced around her, fearing that she had drawn attention to herself, even thought the coffeehouse music corner was mostly empty. Not knowing what else to do, Ruko set down her latte on the nearest table, shoved a hand into her pocket, pulled out the first two or three paper bills she could grab, and tossed them in the musician's open guitar case.

The musician smiled and nodded again, and then giggled in-between verses as Ruko awkwardly and nervously stumbled away.

But then, when the musician glanced at the bills in her guitar case, her eyes widened further, and she almost skipped a beat.

—

Ruko had retreated to her own favorite corner of the coffeehouse, sat down with her latte, and pulled out her mobile for some reading. In her self-conscious efforts to avoid further attention, she had failed to notice that the musician had announced a break, set down her guitar, and walked up to her table.

"Hey," the musician said as she held out the bills that Ruko had given her. "Thanks, but I can't accept this."

"You can't?" Ruko said in a sudden panic. "I'm sorry! Did I do something wrong?"

The musician pushed the bills at Ruko. "You gave me SIXTY DOLLARS," she said. "That's more than I make all night, most nights."

"Oh," a relieved Ruko said. "Is that all? No, that's alright. Please keep it."

"Are you sure?" the musician asked. "You just walked in. You don't even know if I'm any good."

"Actually," Ruko gushed, "I've been listening to you every week since you started— I mean, I haven't been stalking you or anything, I don't even know your name—"

"Relax, honey," the musician said with another smile as she sat down next to Ruko. "My name's Lily. What's your name?"

"Ruko. Ruko Yokune. Um, I didn't mean to walk up to you and stare at you like that."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Why would that be a problem?"

"You've seen how big and tall I am," Ruko said. "I scare people just by standing next to them."

"Oh," Lily said. "Well, that's thoughtful of you. But don't worry. You don't scare me. And I'm a performer. I like it when people stare at me, you know?"

"When you put it that way," a relieved Ruko said, "I'm almost glad that I did it."

"You said that you've been listening to me every week," Lily continued, "but I'm pretty sure I would remember seeing you, and I've never seen you in here before. Do you live next door, or something?"

"My apartment is in the coffeehouse basement," Ruko said. "I can hear you really well down there."

"And you stayed at home every Friday night just to listen to me?" Lily asked.

"Well, I don't get out much," an embarrassed Ruko said. "But, yeah. I look forward to listening to your shows."

"Well, I've never had such a big fan— figuratively or literally. I don't usually take requests, but since you're a fan, and since you've been so generous, do you have any requests?"

Ruko's face lit up. "Ooh! Do you know anything by the Residents?"

Lily frowned. "Sorry. Never even heard of 'em."

"They Might Be Giants?" Ruko asked hopefully.

"Uh... the birdhouse song, right? Sorry, I don't know the words, and I'm pretty sure it's not in my fakebook."

"Oh," Ruko said. "Well, the songs you've been playing are alright... Oh, I know! Why don't you sing one of YOUR songs? I don't think I've heard you play anything but covers."

"Sorry, honey," Lily said again. "I don't write."

"You don't?" Ruko said with genuine surprise. "Why not? You really should. I can tell you've got the talent for it."

Lily blinked in surprise. "Well, goodness, thanks again. I'd kinda like to write, but there's no good reason for me to write. People want buskers to play songs they know, and I've gotta play what people want to hear if I want to eat."

"Could you write a song for me, then?" Ruko said with sudden childish enthusiasm. "It could be like a sixty-dollar commission instead of a request."

Lily frowned again. "Um, that is," Ruko stammered, "you don't HAVE to do that if—"

But then, Lily smiled again. "It's fine, honey. You just took me by surprise. You're full of surprises— and I like that. You gonna come in next week?"

"Uh, sure," a flustered Ruko said.

"OK. Deal. Next week, second set, first song." Lily stood up. "Don't expect too much, OK? This'll be the first song I've ever finished, and songwriters don't get good until they've worked through a few dozen throwaways. But I'll see what I can do."

And then, on a flirtatious impulse, she leaned in and pecked Ruko on the cheek. "Be sure to come back in," she said. "It's more fun to play for a fan than an empty floor."

Ruko stared at her wide-eyed, and then turned away while blushing and nodding.

 _What a cute reaction_ , Lily thought as she walked away. _She's just a big sweetheart._

Ruko picked up her latte, and watched Lily walk away over the edge of the cup. _I should come in more often,_ Ruko thought.

—

Ruko walked into the coffeehouse the next Friday and ordered her usual latte during the first song of Lily's first set. She didn't want to miss her song, but she also didn't want to seem over-eager.

She caught Lily's eye as she headed for her favorite corner, latte in hand. Lily gave her another sweet smile and a flirtatious wink, and Ruko gave her an awkward little wave in return.

After a few more songs, Lily cut her first set somewhat short. She disappeared for a bathroom break, and then reappeared to chat up the other coffeehouse customers. But she returned to her stool without saying anything to Ruko.

She made an announcement from her stool. "I'd like to start this set with a special request. This is for Ruko."

And then, she launched into a simple ballad with romantic lyrics. The rhymes were awkward and the lyrics were trite, but Lily sang them in a strong heartfelt voice, and Ruko was rapt with attention. 

But then, at the chorus, instead of a repeated stanza or any words at all, Lily simply sang a smooth "AH" and effortlessly held it— and the longer she held it, the more passion she put into it. By the time she came to the second verse, her vocalization had become nearly orgasmic— but in a way that was surprisingly beautiful. Ruko was both embarrassed and enthralled.

The second "chorus" was even more expressive. Lily herself was blushing and a bit short of breath when she reached the bridge.

After repeating the first verse, Lily outdid herself again with the final chorus. As she wailed into the microphone, she gradually stopped strumming her guitar, and ended the song with a final a-capella suggestive sigh.

She nodded to sparse but enthusiastic applause as she reached for her bottle of water. "I don't know about all of you," she said after a sip, "but that was good for ME."

And then, she looked for Ruko. She didn't have a clear view of Ruko's corner table from her stool, but from what she could see, Ruko was staring at her open-mouthed while gripping the edge of the table tightly with both hands.

 _It looks like that got her attention,_ Lily thought with amused satisfaction.

—

After a more restrained second set, Lily took another break, and this time, she went directly to Ruko's table. "How did you like that, honey?" she said as she sat down. "I'm not very good with lyrics, and so I just went with what I know... so to speak."

"I mean what I'm about to say in the least creepy way possible," Ruko said sincerely. "Lily? I LOVE you."

"Wow. You really mean that, don't you," Lily said, more as a statement of fact than in surprise. "Well, goodness. That's awfully sweet of you, honey. But you should be more careful of whom you fall in love with."

"I can't help it," Ruko said. "At first, I thought that, with all that long blond hair, you might be an elf, or maybe a fairy. But you sang that song with the voice of a supernatural seductress. I'm pretty sure now that you're a succubus."

"You're not the first person to call me a succubus," an amused Lily said. "I take it my 'gaydar' wasn't wrong, then. I mean, that performance 'worked' for you, right?"

"Oh yeah," Ruko sighed.

"Cool," Lily said. "It's a good thing I'm bi. If I were straight, that performance could have come across as condescending."

"You're bi?" Ruko asked, just to be sure she had heard correctly.

"Well, bi-curious," Lily said. "I was pretty much a delinquent back in high school, and so I didn't have much of a chance with any other girls. And it would be difficult to have a meaningful relationship with the lifestyle that I've been living since school."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Ruko asked. "This is only the second time we've talked."

"I'm not exactly shy," Lily said dryly. "I pretty much just faked an orgasm on stage. But also, you're really easy to talk to."

"I am?" Ruko asked. "I mostly hear 'get away from me, you crazy weirdo freak'."

"Honey, you are just a big ol' pile of sweetness," Lily said. "A busker has to be a good judge of people, and in my not-so-humble opinion, you are the nicest person I've ever met. And on top of that, you're one of the most interesting people I've ever met."

"Well, for what it's worth, you're the nicest delinquent succubus I've ever met," Ruko said. "I honestly don't care that I gave you too much money, but I'm surprised that you tried to return it."

"I gotta eat," Lily said, "but I also have to be able to sleep at night. But you need to be more careful, honey. You shouldn't literally throw your money around like that. You're gonna need it."

"I am?" Ruko asked.

"Yep," Lily said. "I can't say that I've fallen in love with you yet, but I'm definitely interested, and since you just confessed to me, I owe you a chance. But you're the only one of us with money, and so you'll have to take the lead and ask me for a date, HINT HINT."

"OK," Ruko said. "Can I meet you here tomorrow evening and take you out for dinner? And then we could come back here for coffee."

"Yes," Lily said eagerly.

"Wow, that was easy," Ruko said. "I'm the luckiest nicest interesting crazy weirdo freak in the world."

"By the way," Lily asked, "did you record that song on your mobile? I don't have a phone, but if I ever get one, I'd like to have a recording of it."

Ruko held up her mobile as if it were a holy relic. "Since we're being open and frank with each other," she said, "I should tell you that I'm planning to put it on 'repeat' tonight."

"Have fun, honey," Lily said with a knowing smile.

—

Ruko returned to the coffeehouse the next day and found Lily waiting for her by the door. "Oh, hello, Lily," she said. "Did I keep you waiting?"

Lily walked up to her. "It's fine, honey. You're early. I was here earlier only because I didn't have anywhere else to be. Where are we going?"

"Is the diner just down the block OK?" Ruko asked. "It's where I usually go when I run out of food in my apartment."

"Sure." Lily took Ruko's arm as they left the coffeehouse. "They have good food. I've never eaten there, but I've raided their dumpster a few times."

Ruko grimaced. "Oh, Lily!"

Lily shrugged. "When a girl is broke and hungry, she can't be proud."

"Couldn't you get a part-time job?" Ruko asked. "There should be work during the summer when most of the college students have gone home."

"I barely passed the minimum classes to graduate high school," Lily said, "I don't have any paying skills or experience, and I don't have a fixed address or a phone. I don't even have a photo ID. Would YOU hire me?"

"Yes," Ruko said "but I take your point. How long have you been living like this?"

"The day I turned eighteen," Lily said, "I packed my rucksack, grabbed my guitar, and hit the road. It's worked for me from then until now."

"Where do you sleep?" Ruko asked as she walked up to the diner. "Last winter was pretty cold."

"This city has an active music scene," Lily said as she followed Ruko inside, "and I can crash with other musicians most of the time. I've only had to 'rough it' a few times since I came to town."

Ruko led Lily to a booth by a window and sat down. To her surprise, Lily sat next to her instead of across from her. "Lily?" she said nervously.

"We're on a date, honey," Lily said as she snuggled up against Ruko's side. "That is, unless you don't like this?"

"I'm not used to it, but I like it," Ruko said. "But this is only our first date."

"So?" Lily said. "You already love me, and I already trust you. And hopefully, we're gonna get closer than this after dinner."

Ruko gulped. "We are?" she asked nervously.

"Since we were just talking about where I sleep," Lily purred, "I was wondering if I could sleep with YOU tonight."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Ruko declared.

"Are you disappointed that I put out on the first date?" Lily asked.

"'Disappointed' is definitely not how I feel right now," Ruko said. "And also, I would expect no less of a succubus."

—

After dinner and rushed coffee, Ruko led Lily back to her apartment. "Pardon the mess," Ruko said. "I wasn't expecting company."

Lily immediately pulled her T-shirt off and headed for Ruko's bed. "So, um, make yourself at home," Ruko said unnecessarily.

Lily started to unfasten her jeans, but paused. "Would you like to undress me instead? I didn't mean to spoil your fun."

"No, that's fine," Ruko said mildly. "You go right ahead."

Lily pulled off her jeans, and then her socks, leaving herself in only a plain bra and panties. "Sorry my skivvies aren't sexy. I've had to dress for hard living."

"Definitely not a problem," Ruko said as she watched Lily closely. "I'm not really into lingerie anyway."

"Straight to the point, eh? Just like me. I like that." Lily casually unclasped her bra and tossed it aside, slid her panties to the floor, and then reclined on Ruko's bed and struck a naked pose. "One succubus at your service," she announced. "Whatcha waitin' for?"

"I'm just trying to convince myself that this is really happening." Ruko walked up to her bed, reached out, and held Lily's face. "You're just so sexy."

And then, Ruko kissed her.

Lily was blushing after Ruko broke off the kiss. "And you are incredibly romantic."

Ruko lowered one hand to hold it under Lily's jawline, brushed her other hand along Lily's side and waist, and began to leave a trail of kisses down Lily's neck and chest.

"Mmm... that feels so nice," Lily said. "If I had known you would be this gentle and romantic, I would've taken a shower."

Ruko paused to rub her face against Lily's belly while running her hands over Lily's hips. "You're fine, Lily. You kinda taste like honey."

"You're not supposed to say that until you start licking me down THERE," Lily said as she fell back on the bed. "You seem to know what you're doing. I take it you've had some experience with this?"

"Well, some," Ruko said as she approached her final destination. "But I've mostly just read a lot of explicit fan fiction."

Lily giggled, and then she let out a first shuddering sigh. "I'd always heard... mmm... nerds make the best... ohhh... lovers..."

—

A few minutes later, Ruko sat up and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Was that good?" she asked hopefully.

"Oh YEAH," Lily said as she caught her breath. "You REALLY know what you're doing, honey. And also, as of now, I am officially bi."

"Can you go again?" Ruko asked eagerly. "Or do you need to rest for awhile first?"

Lily propped herself up on her elbows. "I could go again, but don't you want a turn?"

"Nah," Ruko said. "We can do me later. Let's do you again. You're too much fun."

Lily flopped back. "Well, I'm DEFINITELY not gonna say 'no' to more of THAT."

"In that case..." Ruko leaned in again. "Second verse, same as the first."

—

A few more minutes later, Ruko sat up again. "OK, I think I'm learning exactly what you like. It sure sounded like it. I love it when you moan like that."

Lily found it much more difficult to catch her breath this time. She brushed hair damp with sweat from her face, raised her head unsteadily, and gave Ruko a very happy smile and a thumbs-up.

Ruko grinned childishly. "One more time?"

Lily stared at Ruko, and then she surrendered herself. "...sure," she gasped. "Make me... all yours... honey."

"Let me know when you're close, OK?" Ruko said as she leaned in once more. "I want to watch your face and look into your eyes when you lose it."

Lily groaned. "Oh honey! I almost... lost it again... just hearing you... say that!"

"In that case, I had better slow down a bit." Ruko said. "I don't want this to end."

Lily immediately found herself beyond words again. _You and me both,_ she thought to herself.

—

A few minutes after that, Ruko continued to look down at Lily's face with concern. "Are you OK?" she asked. "You started to cry a little, but you didn't tell me to stop, so..."

"Ha ha... I, uh... hee hee... I just..." Lily half-sniffled, half-giggled as she tried to answer. "Ha ha... Whew... I'm WAY more than just OK. Oh honey, you literally DROVE ME CRAZY... Oh wow, listen to me babble. Ha ha. You just... I... you... WOW."

Ruko lay next to Lily, hugged Lily's waist with one arm, and stroked Lily's hair with her other hand. "I'm glad you trusted me enough to let me keep going," Ruko said.

Lily let out a few sudden shuddering sobs. "Ugh. Sorry I'm so emotional. I've never felt like this before. I know that sounds corny, but I swear it's true."

"Of course," Ruko said encouragingly. "You're fine. There's nothing to be ashamed of. You're fine."

"I think I'm just gonna roll with our size and strength difference," Lily said, "and go completely and deeply submissive when I'm with you."

Ruko took her half-joke seriously. "Whatever you want, Lily. I just want you to feel good and be happy."

Lily clutched at Ruko's shoulder and sniffled again. "Oh Ruko. Why are you so NICE?"

"It's a tough job," Ruko said with false immodesty, "but someone has to do it."

"Well, bear in mind that I'm still recovering from temporary insanity," Lily said, "but I'm also gonna take a chance on your continuing to be this nice... Ruko? I love you."

"I love you too," Ruko said happily.


	2. Autumn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Published 22-Dec-2017; humor/romance; about 3500 words.
> 
> This contains nudity and almost-but-not-quite explicit adult humor. Reader discretion is advised.

Lily had played at the coffeehouse every Friday night for the rest of the summer, and Ruko had attended every performance in person. Business had picked back up after the start of the new school year, and the coffeehouse had become much more crowded, but a reclusive Ruko had dealt with the crowds the best she could.

One Friday a few weeks after school had started, Lily was sitting with Ruko after playing for a packed house. Ruko was eager to retreat to her apartment, but she patiently waited on the far more gregarious Lily, sitting by and smiling as several other patrons briefly chatted with her girlfriend.

"Sorry, hon," Lily said in-between greetings. "I know you don't like this, but this was the best night I've ever had. I might even be able to afford a new guitar soon."

"You know I could—" Ruko started to say.

Lily held a finger to Ruko's lips. "I know, honey. But let me earn it for myself, OK? You've already giving me free room and board almost every night."

"Yeah, about that... Oh, um, hello," Ruko said. "Did you want to talk to Lily?"

Lily turned, and the smile immediately fell from her face. "Uh oh," she said out loud.

A female college freshman was staring at Lily with palpable anger. She had shoulder-length green hair, and despite the late hour, she wore a pair of sunglasses on top of her head.

"Um... hey," Lily said nervously to the girl. "How's it goin'?"

The girl answered her indirectly by raising her arm, swinging it back, and slapping Lily with all her strength. Ruko, and a few other coffeehouse customers, blankly stared at her.

Lily hung her head. "...yeah," she mumbled, "I deserved that. Sorry."

"UWAAAAAAAAHHH!!" The girl suddenly burst into tears, lunged at Lily, and hugged her desperately. "I was SO WORRIED about you!! I haven't heard from you in MONTHS!! Couldn't you have just CALLED me, you BIG FAT STUPID... STUPID-HEAD!! WAAAHH!!"

Lily had her arms full, but she turned back towards Ruko the best she could. "Remember me talkin' 'bout my younger step-sister?" Lily said.

"Gumi, right?" Ruko said.

"Yeah. Mind if I take her outside and talk to her? Things have become kind of, um, awkward between us."

"So I'd gathered," Ruko said as she stood up. "Meet me back at my apartment?"

"Sounds good." Lily tried to lead a sobbing Gumi away from Ruko's table. "Ugh. It's so crowded. Ruko, could you help me?—"

Ruko gathered up all her nerve, raised her arms, and took a deep breath. "[EVERYBODY MOVE!!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Redc8bv8NOk)" she bellowed.

The coffeehouse suddenly fell silent, and the patrons parted before Ruko as if she were Moses and they were the Red Sea.

"Even MORE awkward," Lily sighed, "but thanks."

—

Ruko had alternated between surfing the Internet aimlessly and pacing the full length of her basement-studio apartment for nearly an hour. Lily finally knocked at its recessed door, opened it and led a subdued Gumi into the apartment.

"Everything OK?" Ruko asked Lily as she stood up.

"As good as we can be. Like I said, this is my step-sister Gumi. She just started school here... Gumi? This is Ruko, my girlfriend."

Ruko held her hand out. "Nice to meet you—" she started to say.

Gumi ignored her hand and hugged her instead. "Thank you for taking care of my STUPID SISTER," she said emotionally.

"Uh, sure," Ruko said timidly. "No problem."

"Gumi, PLEASE," said Lily. "I TOLD you Ruko isn't comfortable with stuff like that from people she doesn't know."

"Oh, right. Sorry, Ruko. I'm still messed up." Gumi took a step back, and then turned back to Lily. "Anyway, you're gonna talk to her about what we just talked about, right?"

Lily rubbed her neck. "Well... it's almost eleven o'clock. Can't it wait until—"

Gumi held Lily's shoulders and glared at her with a near- _yandere_ expression. "You're GOING to TALK TO HER about it, RIGHT?"

"Yep," a terrified Lily squeaked.

Gumi hugged Lily again. "And you had BETTER come and SEE me SOON, alright? You have my room number and my phone number. Come and SEE me. You too, Ruko."

"Sure," Ruko said with a more relaxed smile.

After Gumi left, Lily breathed out heavily. "...yeah. Sorry Ruko, but a promise is a promise. We need to talk."

"Of course," Ruko said. "Let me put on a pot of coffee first."

"But it's almost eleven o'clock, honey," said Lily.

"Don't worry— I'll make it decaf," Ruko said. "But I live under a coffeehouse, and you have a regular gig in one. If we need to talk, we should have coffee."

"I can't argue with that," Lily admitted.

—

Ruko had only an office chair at her computer desk and one other chair at a folding table for meals, and so she and Lily had snuggled up on her bed for a heart-to-heart over two cups of coffee.

After sitting in Ruko's lap, Lily took a deep breath. "This is hard for me on several different levels," she said. "But Gumi is here in town now, and I can't hide or run away from from her. And I deserved that slap. I was too much of a coward to call home after I left, but my leaving had nothing to do with Gumi, and she begged me to stay in touch, and that wasn't fair to her...

"But anyway. When I first left home, I lived on the road, but I've been hanging around town myself for almost a year now. And we've been together for, what, three months? That's not very long, given the favor I have to ask of you, but, um..."

Ruko read her mind. "Yes," she said simply.

"Geez, at least let me ask it, wouldja?" Lily said with a smile.

"Nope," Ruko said. "You don't have to ask. I know it's hard for you to say. And actually, I was about to ask you if you'd like to stay here myself. But yes. You can stay here with me. You've already spent almost every night here for awhile now. This just makes it official."

"Yeah, I guess so." Lily turned to stare out a ground-level window of Ruko's basement apartment. "Ruko? I'm still a wanderer at heart. I think we have something special here, and I sure don't want to break your heart. But I can't promise you I'll be here this time next year."

"Well, I'd be sad if you left and didn't come back," Ruko said. "But I knew what I was getting myself into with you. I won't try to tie you down."

"Really?" Lily said with mock disappointment. "I thought you WOULD want to try that sometime."

"Oh, you." Ruko finished her coffee and set her cup aside, and then snuggled her girlfriend. "I know you're a wanderer and a free spirit. You'll always be welcome in my home, but only if this is where you want to be."

Lily giggled. "This is where I want to be right now... Um, about rent? I have a steady gig at the coffeehouse, and I'm doing pretty good busking on the side. But if I'm gonna stay here in town with you for awhile, I guess I'll go ahead and try to look for a day job."

"You don't have to worry about that," Ruko said, "but if it's important to you, I'll help you look for a job, or for more gigs. Say, maybe you could join a band? Or you could even start your own band."

"Well, maybe," Lily said. "But a band always comes with DRAMA, and now that Gumi is in town, I've already got more DRAMA in my life. And I'd rather stick to acoustic guitar. I've never even played electric guitar."

"Have you thought about making and selling recordings?" Ruko asked.

"Not really," Lily said. "I'm writing now, but let's be honest, my lyrics are still crap. And I couldn't afford to set foot in a studio, and no one makes money on studio recordings these days."

"We wouldn't have to rent a studio." Ruko glanced back at her desktop computer. "We could get a couple of microphones and record you here— well, when the coffeehouse is quiet, anyway. And you don't need a record deal to sell tracks online, or to burn CDs for a merch table. It wouldn't be much, but every little bit helps."

"Hmm..." Lily considered this proposal. "Do you know anything about recording and mixing digital audio? I'm not sure I could even turn that thing off and on again."

"Nope, not a clue," Ruko said. "But it'd be fun to learn with you."

"Fair enough," Lily said. "Ooh, do you play anything? I wouldn't ask you to perform with me in public, but it'd be nice to have backing instrumentation, and it'd be fun to jam with you."

"I took piano lessons," Ruko said, "but I don't have a keyboard."

"If you have money burning a hole in your pocket," Lily said, "then get a keyboard for yourself first. And no pressure, but it'd be even more fun if you can sing harmony."

"I don't mind trying," Ruko said modestly, "but you're the star performer, not me."

"You have to admit that we already make beautiful music together," Lily purred.

"That we do." Ruko snuggled Lily again and kissed the top of her head. "Wanna call it a night? It's almost midnight, and it's been a long day for you."

"Sure." Lily stood up, set her empty coffee cup aside, and stretched. "But we should plan on having sex tomorrow night. We need to celebrate my Gumi-induced domestication."

"Can we have extended snuggles tonight?" Ruko asked. "I'm tired, but we both just had coffee, and I know it was decaf, but it might still take me awhile to fall asleep."

"On one condition," Lily said mischievously. "Make it extended NAKED snuggles?"

"Well, if we HAVE to," Ruko said, also mischievously.

—

After throwing out the leftover coffee, leaving the cups in the sink, and then taking turns using the bathroom, Ruko and Lily turned off the lights, shed their clothing, and climbed into bed together. Ruko was the big spoon as usual, out of necessity.

"I love sleeping in the nude," Lily said happily. "I've had to sleep in my clothes ever since I left home. Sleeping in the same clothes for a few weeks at a time isn't very comfortable."

"You don't have to answer this," Ruko asked carefully, "but have you been assaulted? Living off the grid must be dangerous."

"Yeah, twice," Lily said bluntly. "But I was actually lucky both times. The first time... well, I used to carry a pretty big knife, and I'm not a very big girl, but I fight fast and dirty, and I can scream like a banshee. I'll put it this way— you should see the OTHER guy. And the second time, I had crashed at another musician's place, and I just screamed for help, and that was the end of it. But I wouldn't have chosen this life if I didn't like to live dangerously."

"Well, you're safe here with me," Ruko said with a reassuring snuggle. "If I ever do anything that makes you uncomfortable, just tell me, OK? And if anyone else does anything that makes you uncomfortable, just tell me about that too. I try to avoid trouble, but I've been in a few fights, and I've never lost a fight."

"Thanks, honey." Lily returned her snuggle. "I appreciate it. And I do feel safe with you. Like I've said before, you're just a big sweetheart."

"Let's change the subject to something more fun," Ruko said. "Did you ever sleep naked or streak when you were 'roughing it' on your own?"

"Do you want the truth," Lily asked slyly, "or do you want to hear a story with what you WANT to hear?"

"Ooh! The second one, please," Ruko said eagerly.

"Well, let's see." An imaginative Lily made up a story on the spot. "There was this one time when I was hanging out at the public park and busking on the campgrounds. And one morning, I used the public showers, and when I got out, my rucksack, guitar, and clothing were all missing. I was naked, soaking wet, shivering, and stranded without so much as a towel."

"What did you do?" Ruko asked, as if she believed the story.

"Well, I was totally turned on by my predicament," Lily said, "and so I obviously needed some self-relief."

"Perfectly understandable," Ruko agreed.

"And just as I was getting myself off," Lily said, "this babe named Kokone walked into the showers and watched me. As luck would have it, she was the one who took my stuff. She thought it was abandoned 'cause there were no cars around, and she was planning to turn it in to the park office. But she still had it, and so she apologized and returned it."

"That was nice of her," Ruko said. "After you cleared up the misunderstanding, did you have hot steamy sex-with-strangers with her in the showers?"

"You like me with other women, don't you," Lily said. "Yeah, we totally got it on. And she was pretty good, but she wasn't as good as you."

"I like this game," Ruko said. "Do you have any other stories?"

"A few months ago, I was picked up by a policewoman for loitering," Lily lied. "There I was, just minding my own business, when this smoking hot redhead named Cul ran up to me with her weapon drawn, grabbed me somewhat roughly and wrestled me to the ground, pinned me down with her body, and then handcuffed me."

"That must have been TERRIBLE," Ruko said.

"It gets even WORSE," Lily said. "She took me back to the police station, and she strip-searched me herself. And of course, she instantly fell in love with me because, you know, I AM a succubus."

"Been there, done that," Ruko admitted. "I take it she let you have your way with her?"

"She was practically begging for it," Lily said smugly. "And before SHE knew it, I locked her in the holding cell naked and made my escape. The poor girl was probably locked in there for hours, and then she was probably DISCIPLINED when the next police shift came in."

"Of course, she would have been totally turned on by her predicament," Ruko added, "and so she obviously needed some self-relief, and she would have been seen just as she got herself off."

"Dude! You're better at this game than I am," Lily said. "You should tell the next story."

"OK," Ruko said, "but I don't know if I can top that story... Hmm. This might be taking the game too far—"

"Tell it! Tell it!" Lily said eagerly. "You can't say that and then not tell it!"

"Well, I don't know," Ruko said nervously. "It's about you again, and... um, are you OK with pseudo-incest?"

"...you mean Gumi?" asked Lily. "Well, this needs to stay just between us. But I asked for it. Whatcha got?"

"The reason Gumi was so emotional when she found you," Ruko said, "is because you were lovers. In fact, she spent the last two years stalking you, always watching you, but not quite able to bring herself to confront you."

"...not plausible at all, but that doesn't matter," Lily said. "But in that case, why did she finally confront me earlier this evening?"

"She was consumed with jealousy when she saw you with me," Ruko said. "All that time you said you spent talking? She was trying to seduce you and win you back by having public sex with you in the alley. But she couldn't win you back, and instead, you brought her back here for a lesbian threesome with me."

Lily was silent. "Oh gosh, I'm sorry," Ruko said. "Did I take it too far after all?"

"No, you're fine," Lily said. "It's just, I can't stop thinking about making out with Gumi now. To be honest, I've thought about it before. As far as I know, she's straight, and she really isn't my type, but she is pretty cute."

"Let me state for the record here and now," Ruko said, "that I have absolutely no interest in actually having a threesome with you and Gumi."

"Now I KNOW you're lying," an amused Lily said. "But maybe we should leave the stories at that, at least for tonight."

"You should try to rewrite the first two stories in rhyme and use them as song lyrics," Ruko suggested.

"That's... not a bad idea at all," Lily said thoughtfully. "I'd probably wanna tone them down a bit, but still, they're no worse than faking an orgasm for a chorus on stage."

"Lily? I love games like this," Ruko said earnestly. "I love being weird with you."

"For what it's worth, I love it too," Lily said, "but you're on a whole different level of weird above me."

"That might be so," Ruko said. "But I try to use my powers for weird and not for evil."

Lily giggled, and then fell silent for a minute. "...Ruko?" she suddenly said. "Um... while we're being weird? Could we, um, try something?"

"If I can do anything for you, I will," Ruko said gently. "What is it?"

Lily snuggled back against Ruko as much as she could. "It's just... I love sleeping with you like this— I mean, actually sleeping with you— and... oh gosh, this IS weird, now that I'm trying to say it out loud."

"You're fine, sweetie," Ruko said reassuringly.

Lily took a deep breath. "Could you, um, lie on top of me, and pin me down?" she asked nervously. "And, like, hold my hands, and wrap your legs around mine, and hold me with your whole body."

"If you think you'd 'like' that, then absolutely." Ruko asked. "But are you sure that I wouldn't be too heavy?"

"Yeah," Lily said. "You actually gave me this idea a few nights ago, when you rolled over onto me in your sleep. I didn't wake you up 'cause, well, I really 'liked' it."

"I see," Ruko said. "Do you want to be face-down or face-up?"

"Oh, face-up would be better. You think of everything, honey." Lily turned in place, and found herself face-to-face with the top of Ruko's chest. "Oh wow," she giggled. "Face-up really WILL be better."

"Hold your arms out after I'm in place," Ruko said. "Here we go."

She carefully rolled herself forward and onto of Lily, pulled the blanket over them both, pulled the pillow above Lily's head and under her own, and then felt for Lily's open hands and linked fingers with her.

"Are you good?" Ruko asked as she wriggled on top of Lily, bare skin to bare skin.

"Yeah. I'm real good," Lily said quietly into Ruko's chest. "Can we stay like this for awhile?"

"Sure," Ruko said. "But if I fall asleep on you, be sure to wake me up if you need to move."

"'Kay," Lily said distantly. "But I kinda hope you never let me go again."

—

About half an hour later, Lily cleared her throat. "Ruko? Sorry, but my leg is numb. Ruko? Wake up, Ruko. Wake up."

"Hmm?" Ruko bounced slightly on Lily's body as she awoke. "* _oof_ *" Lily gasped.

"Oh gosh, I did fall asleep! I'm sorry." Ruko carefully rolled back and away from Lily. Their skin had grown sweaty together, and it peeled slightly as they parted.

Lily curled up on her side and rubbed her leg. "Ugh. Here come the pins and needles... But that was really great. I was kinda turned on, but it was more than that, you know? My head was totally in another space."

"Well, your face wasn't," Ruko said with a chuckle. "I could feel your breath on my boobs. But seriously, if you like things like that, we can do them whenever you like."

"The same goes for you, honey," Lily said. "I can hardly believe that, before I met you, I wasn't even sure that I was bi. But we're so compatible that you literally send me out of my mind just by holding me."

"We are a good match," Ruko thought out loud. "I like your sexy stories, and you like physical games with me."

"I had thought I would have trouble controlling my wanderlust," Lily also thought out loud, "but now I'm not so sure. I still want to see the world, but I doubt it'll be as much fun as sleeping in your bed and being weird with you all night long."

Ruko spooned Lily again and hugged her from behind. "In that case, we've learned an important lesson," she said. "We can overcome your wanderlust with plain old LUST."

"Could be," Lily said with another giggle. "I think I'll try to sleep now. G'night, honey."

"I love you," Ruko whispered in her ear.

"I love you too," Lily whispered back.


	3. Winter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Published 22-Dec-2017; humor/romance; about 4000 words.
> 
> This contains nudity and almost-but-not-quite explicit adult humor. Reader discretion is advised.

Lily awoke on a cold Saturday morning, shivered, and sat up alone in Ruko's bed.

After rubbing her eyes, she found Ruko already up, still wearing the sweats she'd slept in, but setting out her wallet and her keys. "Are you going out, honey?" she asked. "The weather forecast was for near-record cold today."

"We have three choices," Ruko said, "I can bundle up and walk down to the grocery store once; we can go out to eat for every meal this weekend; or we resort to cannibalism."

Lily giggled. "Well, let's not take Door Number Three. I'd be tough and stringy after living on the road... I'm sorry I didn't pick up anything myself, honey. I got full-time hours at the discount store yesterday, and I was a few minutes late for my Friday night gig as it was."

"It's fine, Lily. You had a long day, and I was busy with classwork this week. I'll just put on my 'moon suit' and run down to the food-mart on the corner. When I get back with the food, we can stay in and relax all weekend."

Lily watched Ruko pull a large thick roll from the back of the closet, and then unroll it to reveal a huge pair of workman's insulated coveralls. "Ooh, those do look warm." she said. "I know you don't mind the cold, but I'd always wondered why you didn't seem to have a heavy winter coat."

"Yeah, I'm just gonna wear them over my sweats," Ruko said as she put a first leg into the coveralls. "I had to special-order them to get them in my size, and they're still a bit short on me, but they're good with my shoes."

"They're still plenty big around the chest and waist," Lily said, "I'll bet both of us would fit in them at once."

Ruko paused and looked at Lily. Lily looked back at Ruko. They both slowly smiled deeply disturbing smiles.

"We're doing it, right?" Ruko said eagerly.

"Oh, we are SO doing it," Lily said as she jumped out of bed. "Lemme use the bathroom and put up my hair real quick, and then I'll jump in with you."

A few minutes later, a pony-tailed Lily returned from the bathroom to find Ruko sitting on the bed. "How should we do this?" Lily asked.

"Sit in my lap, and I'll pull the legs up. I'm not sure how we'll pull on the sleeves, but we'll figure it out."

Lily sat in Ruko's lap. "Do you think my T-shirt and shorts will be warm enough?" she asked as she lined up her bare legs against Ruko's sweats.

"I expect you'll be sweating in them," Ruko said. "These coveralls are seriously warm, and we'll be walking the whole time... OK, time to do the sleeves. Uh, do you want your arms free inside the chest instead?"

"Nah. I wouldn't be able to move them anyway." Lily positioned her arms against Ruko's arms and held Ruko's wrists. "Go ahead. I'll move with you."

Ruko pulled the sleeves onto their arms, and then pulled the shoulders up around them both. "That was easier than I thought it might be," she said. "It might be more difficult to get out, but we'll worry about that later."

She stood up, and found that she could rest her chin on the top of Lily's head. "Are you good?" Ruko asked as she fastened the front of the coveralls up to Lily's chin. "Nothing hurting or pinching?"

"Snug as a bug in a rug," Lily said happily. "I'm plenty tight at the arms and crotch, but I'd rather be tight than flopping around and throwing you off balance. If you don't need me to move or walk, I'll just go limp and hang out in here."

"Yeah, I'm good. I think most of your weight is on my shoulders. It just feels like I'm wearing a backpack in front. Oh, let me put a hat on you." Ruko pulled a stocking cap down over Lily's head and tucked it over her ears, and then pulled a second cap over her own twin-tails. And then, she picked up a pair of large reusable shopping bags, her wallet, and her keys.

"Ready?" asked Ruko.

"Full speed ahead!" Lily cried.

"Sir yes sir," Ruko said as she opened the door.

—

About an hour later, Ruko and Lily returned to Ruko's apartment with two full bags of frozen pizzas, burritos, Chinese entrees, and some fruits and vegetables on the side.

"Whew," Ruko said. "That was a lot of fun, but it was also a lot of work. I'm glad I didn't drop the bags. I don't know if we would have been able to pick them up."

Ruko pulled off Lily's cap. "Yeah, this was fun, but I'm ready to get out," Lily said. "I'm about to melt in here."

"Did you see the look the cashier gave us?" Ruko said as she bore Lily back to the bed.

"It looked like he envied us," Lily said. "And he was a big guy too. If he has a small girlfriend or boyfriend, we might have started a trend— WHOAH!!"

Ruko sat down on the bed too fast, couldn't stop herself, and fell back flat on her back with Lily on top of her. "* _OOF!!_ *," she gasped. "Sorry about that. Are you OK up there?"

Lily was giggling like a girl at an amusement park. "That was fun!" she said. "Can we go 'round again?"

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Ruko said. "I'll sit up again— Ngh!... Ngh!... OK, I guess I WON'T sit up again. Lily, you're not helping!"

"What do you expect ME to do?" Lily half-gasped, half-laughed. "I'm pulled tighter than ever!"

"Well, at least hold your head up so that I can unfasten the snap under your chin." Ruko tried to reach up around Lily to open the coveralls, but the sleeves had also pulled tighter.

"What'll we do if we're really stuck?" Lily asked between giggles.

"Roll onto the floor, drag ourselves over to my mobile, and call 911, I guess. But I've almost got it." Ruko managed to unfasten the front of the coveralls, and then she flopped back again. "Oh Lily, I'm pooped."

Lily finally recovered from her giggle fit. "Why don't we just stay like this and take a nap?" she asked.

"Can't," Ruko said. "We have to put the groceries away— unless you want to eat ALL of those frozen pizzas for lunch. And you said you were melting too."

"Ooh! Maybe my sweat will make me slippery enough to slide out on my own. Pull the shoulders open as far as you can, and then straighten our arms and legs, OK?"

Ruko obliged her. "Go for it, 'Houdini'."

Lily began to squirm rhythmically, making slow but steady progress. "Am I hurting you?" she asked Ruko as she wriggled upwards.

"Quite the opposite, in fact," Ruko said as Lily writhed on top of her body. "I think this might be the best part of the game yet."

"Well, turn your head so that I don't break your nose." Lily made one last twisting motion and pulled her right arm free. "Whew! OK, we're good now."

She pulled her left arm out, carefully sat up on Ruko, pulled her legs free, and then stood up and offered Ruko a hand. "Stand up and I'll pull them off you," she offered.

"Thanks," Ruko said. "...Hey Lily, was there anything you wanted to do today?"

"Nope," Lily said. "Do you want to do something else together? I'm not sure how we'll top that."

"This is just an idea," Ruko said, "but after we put the groceries away and have a bite to eat?..."

"Yes?" Lily asked.

"Let's take off the rest of our clothes, and then put the coveralls back on."

Lily licked her lips suggestively. "I stand corrected."

—

Ruko and Lily stood side by side, wearing only bathrobes, and looked over the preparations they had made for another "game" in Ruko's apartment.

"We've had lots of 'fun' together," Lily thought out loud, "but I guess this is the first time we're actually tried to make it romantic. And it sounds like the coffeehouse will give us a nice quiet night for it too."

"Yep," Ruko said. "Soft lighting, scented candles, and some soft ambient music from upstairs... along with a couple bottles of wine... and an inflatable wading pool and two gallons of warm honey."

"I can't wait," Lily said eagerly. "I'm sorry I'm making you do all of the work."

"The store doesn't have enough honey to cover ME," Ruko said as she poured two glasses of wine. "But don't worry. This will definitely be a 'hands-on' experience for me."

Lily raised her glass. "A toast... to perversion?" she suggested.

"To perversion, with fun and love." Ruko clinked glasses with her and drained her glass. "I know you like these games too, but if I'm getting too weird for you, let me know, OK? I'd be happy with plain old sex and snuggles."

"Nah. I'm good," Lily said. "I love your surprises. But let me do something for you next time, OK? I love it when you do things for me, but it's not fair to make you do ALL of the work."

"OK, sure," Ruko said. "I'll put some thought into it... Ooh, the microwave is done. It's time to get sticky."

Lily took off her bathrobe and tossed it aside, and then kneeled in the middle of the wading pool. Meanwhile, Ruko took two quarts of warm honey out of the microwave, put another two quarts in and started the microwave again, and then carried the warm honey back to Lily.

"Hold out your wrist for me." Ruko drizzled some honey on Lily's wrist. "Is the temperature OK? Not too hot?"

"Actually, it could be warmer." Lily made eyes at Ruko while licking the honey from her arm. "Mmmmmmmm. Soooo sweet."

"I'll add some time to the next two quarts. And don't try to eat too much— you'll probably be sick of it by the time we're done." Ruko shrugged off her own bathrobe, stood up, and held out the first quart. "Here we go."

Lily squealed as a first glob of honey hit her face. "Oh MY! Is that half a quart of honey, or are you just glad to see me?"

"Both, I think." Ruko shook the container, and then began to scrape it out with a large spoon. "If you can hold your hair to one side, I'll pour the rest of this down your back."

"Don't be afraid to get it in my hair," Lily said. "Let's do this properly and cover me completely."

"Well, it won't be fun washing all that honey out of all that hair," Ruko said as the honey trickled down Lily's back. "But I can help with that too."

Lily shuddered lightly. "Let's make the next two quarts warmer, please. That still feels nice, but it feels kinda weird when I can't see it."

"It looks amazing over your tattoo," Ruko said as she picked up the second quart. "Where do you want Round Two?"

Lily leaned back. "On my face again, please. I'll try to catch it and cover my boobs."

"Your wish is my command." Ruko straddled the front half of the pool and began to pour again. "The view from HERE is even more amazing," she said.

"The view from down here isn't so bad either. Don't forget that you're naked too," Lily said as she cupped honey between her breasts. "While you're here, you should have some."

"Alright." Ruko leaned down, pushed her face into Lily's breasts and took a few first licks, and then pulled her tongue in circles. "...ugh, just a sec," she said as she leaned back. "It's getting in my eyes. Where did I leave the washcloth?..."

"To your left," Lily said with a giggle. "You've gotta do better than THAT, honey. You poured it on my face, and I didn't get any in MY eyes."

"Well, if we do this again, I'll wear safety goggles," Ruko said as she rubbed her face. "I'll go get the next two quarts."

Lily playfully glued her hands and arms to her body while chatting with Ruko. "I still say that we should've filmed this," she called back.

"Let's give your musical career more time to take off before we give up and start making fetish video clips in my apartment," Ruko said as she brought out the next two quarts. "And would you REALLY want this on the Internet forever? Who knows who would see it, and, well, 'use' it."

"Sure," Lily said. "It's not like I'm planning to go into politics or anything. And if I could make lonely people a little less lonely for awhile, wouldn't that be a good thing?"

"You're a natural-born entertainer, that's for sure." Ruko returned with the next two quarts. "If you really want your hair soaked in this stuff, I'll pour Rounds Three And Four directly into your hair."

Lily leaned forward and pulled at her hair to fan it out against her back. "Ouch... It's sticking to my back and pulling on my scalp. Maybe this WASN'T such a good idea."

"It's too late to beg for mercy now," Ruko said evilly. "...and there we go. Wanna stop and 'play' after the next two quarts? You're already pretty much drenched."

"Yeah, that might be a good idea," Lily agreed. "It won't be easy to get the pool out of here if it's half-full and spilling everywhere. And we can keep the last two quarts of honey for food."

"Honey keeps for thousands of years," Ruko noted as she finished warming Rounds Five and Six. "Maybe we could cover you in amber and preserve you forever."

"Ooh, that's an interesting thought experiment," Lily said. "You can have immortality and eternal youth, but you HAVE to spend the rest of eternity naked in a vat of honey. Yes or no?"

"Yes," Ruko said quickly, "but only if I get to spend the rest of eternity with you."

"Well, goodness. Thanks, honey," a touched Lily said. "But wouldn't I bore you after a few centuries?"

"True eternal immortality is always a curse," Ruko said. "It's an immutable rule of fan fiction. But spending eternity naked in a vat of honey with you would be as good a curse as any."

"How on Earth did we have this conversation?" an amused Lily asked.

"Beats me," Ruko said. "Let's use the last two quarts before they get cold. Oh, want some wine first?"

"Please." Lily said. Ruko held out her glass, and she took a sip. "Mmm... Thanks, but I'd better not drink any more until we're done. I can't use the toilet like this."

"Fair enough. Let's get to it." Ruko set down the glass and held up the fifth quart. "Go ahead and lie on your back and, um, hold your ankles."

"Time to 'assume the position', eh?" Lily squirmed around in the pool until she was able to lie on her back, and then she folded her legs and held them the best she could.

Ruko emptied the fifth quart all along Lily's body. "...and done," Ruko said. "Mmm, honey-glazed Lily. You look good enough to eat."

"You still have a full quart left," Lily said seductively. "Aren't you going to use it first?"

"Yep," Ruko said, "and you get one guess where I'm going to pour it."

"If I know us," Lily said happily, "I don't need to guess."

—

Ruko was surfing the Internet aimlessly while Lily was working in the bathroom. Ruko could smell the chemicals that Lily was using from her computer desk.

"Are you done?" Ruko called out eagerly.

"Almost," Lily called back. "Give me five more minutes."

After only a minute or two, Ruko called out again. "Are you DONE?"

"That was a short five minutes," an amused Lily called back. "Keep your shirt on, would you?"

"But I thought I had to be topless for my part of tonight's game," Ruko said smugly.

"Don't sass me, young lady," Lily shouted. "But seriously, I'm almost done."

Ruko turned back to her computer again, and found something to read and hold her interest for awhile. A short time later, Lily walked up behind Ruko and cleared her throat. "All done," she said.

Ruko turned in her chair, and found Lily topless, wearing only panties— and she had a blue streak in her blonde bangs that matched Ruko's streak perfectly. "What do you think?" she said. "I wasn't sure at first, but now I'm really liking it. I might keep it for awhile."

Ruko scooted forward in her chair and hugged Lily. "This is great," she said happily. "I have a 'Mini-Me' now."

"Well, not exactly." Lily patted Ruko's head and stroked Ruko's own blue streak. "I still don't understand how it's possible to have naturally asymmetric hair like yours."

"It's just part of being a crazy weirdo freak." Ruko stood up from her computer chair. "Are you ready for me now?"

"Yep. It's time to tattoo you and turn you into my 'Maxi-Me'," Lily said.

Ruko took off her blouse and put it over Lily's shoulders. "Why don't you wear this? You'll catch your death running around half-naked like that."

Ruko's huge white long-sleeved button-down blouse looked like an oversized man's shirt on Lily. "Ooh, still warm," she said eagerly as she put her arms in, rolled up the sleeves, and buttoned up the front.

As Ruko took off her bra, lay face-down on her bed, and held the corners of the headboard, Lily fetched a henna tattoo kit, a huge paper transfer that she and Ruko had prepared earlier— and two pairs of handcuffs.

Lily climbed over Ruko's torso and cuffed her left wrist to the corner of the headboard, and then crawled back and cuffed her right wrist. "Are you still OK, honey?" she asked.

"Yep," Ruko said. "This doesn't really 'do' anything for me, but it doesn't scare me either. If you like me like this, I'm happy to do it."

Lily opened the henna tattoo kit, mixed some of its powder and solution, and filled an applicator, as she chatted with the captive Ruko. "I still can't believe that, after all the games we've played together, and all the times I've practically begged you to tie me up, I would end up cuffing YOU to the bed first." 

"I know you like it when I take the lead," Ruko said, "but you should have fun with me once in awhile too."

"Working on it." Lily held the paper-transfer in both hands, climbed onto the bed again, and straddled Ruko's hips. "Hold still, honey," she said. "We only get one chance to get this on straight."

She lined up the paper against the small of Ruko's back the best she could, and then she pressed it down firmly and rubbed it into Ruko's skin. "Did you get it?" Ruko asked.

Lily peeled the paper away. "Hmm... Yeah, this is good. The most important thing was to get it straight. There's some gaps in the transfer, but I can fill those in."

"You'll do fine, Lily," said Ruko. "It's YOUR tattoo, after all."

"Yeah, but I've literally never seen it," Lily said as she fetched the henna applicator. "I'm pretty flexible, but I'm not THAT flexible."

"It's symmetrical," Ruko said. "It should look the same in a mirror."

"Well, yeah, but it's in the small of my back. I can't even see it with a mirror." Lily began to fill in the transfer with henna paste. "...wow, you're really holding still for me. Doesn't this tickle at all?"

"Nope," Ruko said. "Sorry to disappoint, but you know I've never been ticklish at all."

"Dude, you suck at being submissive." Lily worked silently for a few minutes, and then sat up and stretched. "This is easier than I thought it would be," she said. "I'm almost half done already."

"You don't have to stop with a copy of your tattoo," Ruko said. "Wanna give me racing stripes?"

Lily laughed out loud. "Don't make me laugh like that while I'm spreading this stuff," she gasped. "Honey, I've never seen you move more quickly than a leisurely stroll. Have you ever raced anywhere in your life?"

"Not really," Ruko admitted. "How about you? Ever thought about more tattoos?"

"Never say never," Lily said. "But the big one on my back is one of the reasons I left home."

"Sorry," Ruko said softly. "I know you don't like to talk about leaving home."

"S'alright. I'll tell you more about it someday," Lily said as she continued to work. "At least I left before I was too much of a bad influence on Gumi. As far as I know, she never even had her ears pierced."

"Does she color her hair?" Ruko asked.

"Nope," Lily said. "She's a natural greenette. Come to think of it, it would've been fun to dye my hair green."

"Like you said, never say never," Ruko said encouragingly. "Gumi is around to see it now."

"I can't wait to see her face when we show her my new blue streak," Lily said. "She still 'ships' us like crazy."

"I'm glad she took to me as quickly as you did," Ruko said happily.

"Don't sell yourself short, you big sweetheart." Lily paused for a moment. "Almost done. It's a good thing, too. I'm almost out of henna paste."

"There's always permanent marker," Ruko noted.

"It's not as permanent as you think," Lily said. "I had a big permanent marker fight back in junior high school. It was one of my first steps on the path to becoming a delinquent."

"Did you get the other girl good?" Ruko asked. "Not that I need to ask."

"She didn't dare show her face for a couple of days— literally." Lily climbed off Ruko. "All done. Mind staying cuffed until it dries?"

"Nope," Ruko said. "But get back into bed with me? I'm lonely here by myself."

"Sure," Lily said. "Can you prop yourself up on your elbows for a moment?"

"Alright." As Ruko squirmed, Lily pulled off Ruko's blouse, and then slid into bed underneath the cuffed Ruko.

"This isn't what I had in mind," Ruko said, "but it works for me."

"You might suck at being submissive, but I also suck at being dominant," Lily noted. "I just couldn't wait to be stuck underneath you again."

"As long as we can be together," Ruko said happily.

"Ooh, I've got an idea for another tattoo for me," Lily said. "A label that reads 'Property Of Ruko Yokune'!"

To her surprise, Ruko frowned. "Please don't say that, Lily," she said earnestly. "You're not my property."

"Oh. Sorry." Lily was thoughtful for a moment. "How about 'Plaything Of Ruko Yokune' instead?"

"I can't argue with that," Ruko admitted. "But this'd be better: 'If Found, Please Return To Ruko Yokune'."

"Winner winner chicken dinner," Lily declared.

After a comfortable silence, Lily spoke again. "...y'know, the longer I stay, the harder it'll be if I leave."

"You said 'if'," Ruko said hopefully. "When we first got together, you would have said 'when'."

"Well, you're also making it harder TO leave," Lily said. "And I don't mean lying on top of me all the time— although I love it when you do that."

"I'll be honest," Ruko said. "If you tried to leave now, I probably would try to stop you. I wouldn't want to make you feel guilty, but if you left me now, I'd miss you terribly."

"In that case," Lily said, "just keep what you're doing. I'll be fully domesticated in no time. And by the way, I'm NOT letting you out of these cuffs unless you PROMISE to put them on ME."

"Will do and done," Ruko agreed. "In the meantime? I love you."

Lily wrapped her arms around her lover. "I love you too."


	4. Spring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Published 22-Dec-2017; humor/romance; about 3300 words.
> 
> This last part is shorter and rougher than the others, and I'm not sure Luka's offer is even slightly realistic. But in the end, I had to set a deadline for myself, and then publish what I had, in order to call it done and move on.
> 
> This contains nudity and almost-but-not-quite explicit adult humor. Reader discretion is advised.

Lily was sitting with Ruko after yet another Friday night performance at the coffeehouse. Ruko had brought a large box of home-burned CDRs that she had co-written, recorded, and hand-assembled with Lily.

"Not sellin' too good, are they?" Lily said.

"No, but this is only the third week we've been selling them," Ruko said, "and we only need to sell a few more copies to break even."

"I know we're just trying to promote my— I mean OUR original songs," Lily said, "but if it takes a month just to break even on a run of fifty, I'm glad we don't need the money for food and rent."

"Think positive, Lily," the ever-optimistic Ruko said. "Sooner or later, the right person will hear your music and... and.. oh, hello. Would you like to buy a CD?"

An elegant pink-haired young woman had walked up to Ruko's merch table. "Yes, please," the woman said politely. "I particularly enjoyed your performance, Lily."

"Thank you," a star-struck Lily squeaked as Ruko made change for the woman. "I've seen you play live three times, Miss Megurine, and I love your music too."

"Please call me Luka. We're the same age." Luka turned to Ruko. "And you are?"

"Ruko Yokune," Ruko said proudly as she handed a CD and change to Luka. "Lily's co-writer, arranger, producer, biggest fan, room-mate and lover."

"Oh my," Luka said with a giggle. "Well, aren't you two lucky to have each other."

"I think so, yes," Ruko agreed.

"May I join you for a moment?" Luka asked as she sat down. "I wanted to talk with Lily, but it seems I should talk with both of you instead. This is the first time that I've seen you play live, Lily. Do you perform regularly?"

"Well, I'm not really pro," Lily said. "I play here every Friday night and on special occasions, and I land a gig at a party once in awhile. Besides that, I'm just busking and working day jobs."

"I see," Luka said. "Would you be interested in playing some other coffeehouses and bars in the area over the summer? If we can schedule enough consecutive gigs, it could turn into a summer-long regional tour."

Lily's mouth fell open.

"Say 'yes', Lily," said Ruko.

"Yes Lily," said Lily. "You'd do that for me? I mean, you CAN do that for me?"

"I'm always on the lookout for local talent," Luka said, "and you have talent, Lily. And yes, I can put your Ruko in contact with several establishments that would love to have you, and you'll have my recommendation.

"Just to be clear, I'm not offering you a recording contract, or asking you to join my band after seeing you play once, or anything like that. And you'll have to make your own travel arrangements and cover your own expenses— but you should earn enough to get through the summer, and you'll be getting some exposure, even if you never tour again."

Lily's eyes were wide as saucers. "If I weren't already Ruko's love-slave," she said, "I would KISS you."

"Oh my," Luka said again. "You're very nice, but I'll leave you in Ruko's care. Ruko, could you send me a text? Here's my number."

"Of course." Ruko took out her mobile and sent a text to Luka, and then Luka returned her text.

"Thank you." Luka stood up again. "It was simply lovely to meet both of you. Ruko, I'll be in touch over the next few weeks, and I'll pass some contacts on to you and tell them to expect you. And Lily, I'm afraid I'm leaving town shortly, but I hope I can see you play again soon."

"Same here," Lily said. "I can't thank you enough for this."

After Luka left, Lily turned to Ruko with the biggest smile Ruko had ever seen— but then, she suddenly crumpled.

"What's wrong?" Ruko said.

"Oh honey," Lily said sadly. "I'm so sorry. I didn't think about you at all."

"That's OK," Ruko said cheerfully. "I'm happy for you."

Lily blinked in surprise. "But— if this comes together, we could be separated for several weeks."

"No we won't," Ruko said. "It's a 'summer' tour, right? Well, I'm not taking any summer classes, and I don't have any other plans."

The big smile returned to Lily's face. "You mean?—"

"Road trip!" Ruko declared. "And I get to drive."

Lily immediately hugged Ruko. "Nothing would make me happier," she said.

—

Ruko backed a road-worn and battered white van into the closest open parking spot to her apartment. After shutting off its engine, she and Lily jumped out and opened its back doors.

"I can't believe your parents are just giving you one of your family business' company vans for the summer." Lily said.

"My parents were ecstatic when they heard that I wanted to do something besides hide in my basement apartment for my last summer in college," Ruko said. "And they love you, Lily."

"I don't know why," Lily said. "I mean, they're responsible business owners, and I'm just some homeless hippie-chick that seduced their only daughter."

"Well," Ruko said, "you do make their only daughter happy."

"I try." Lily jumped into the back of the van and looked around. "Hmm," she said. "There isn't actually that much room in the back, is there?"

"It's not a tour bus," Ruko said, "but we're only taking your two guitars and my laptop and luggage. We'll have plenty of room for a futon and blankets."

"Does it have electric power?" Lily asked.

"Just a couple of cigarette-lighter sockets," Ruko said. "If we're going to live in the back for the entire summer, we'll be roughing it. It's air-conditioned, but we can't run it all night, and it'll get hot."

"There's no one else with whom I'd rather get all hot and sweaty." Lily jumped out of the van, and then hugged Ruko. "Thank you so much for doing this for me, and with me. I know you'd rather stay at home and keep to yourself. You've opened up a lot lately, but doing something like this must still be hard for you."

Ruko shrugged modestly. "I've kept you from traveling for almost a year, and fair is fair. And I'd much rather hit the road in a beat-up van, and drive the back-roads and see the country, than fly to Cancun, or take some cruise, or do something boring and crowded like that."

"And you're saving my bacon by driving for me," Lily said. "I guess I had better quit fooling around and get a driver's license."

"If you want, I can teach you to drive while we're out on the road," Ruko said. "We can look for some township roads with shallow ditches in-between gigs. No one will care what we do to this van, short of totaling it."

"And this is the first year I've actually made a living wage," Lily thought out loud. "Oh wow! I'm gonna have to keep my receipts from this trip and file TAXES next year!"

"Welcome to civilization," Ruko said. "And don't worry about it. I'll help you with your taxes, or at least help you find someone to file them. If I'm going to play at being your manager, that's part of my job anyway."

"Where would I be without you, honey?" Lily asked.

"Homeless and destitute, sitting on the streets and playing guitar for loose change?" Ruko said.

"Touché," Lily admitted with a giggle.

—

The spring semester had not quite yet ended, but Ruko had completed all of her courses and sat for all of her exams. And Luka and Ruko's calls had resulted in solid bookings for the end of May and beginning of June, and Lily was eager to hit the road as soon as possible.

After packing their van, emptying Ruko's fridge, unplugging her electronics and securing the apartment, Ruko and Lily were ready to set out for a first distant gig in three days. But Gumi had come to see them off, and as expected, she wasn't letting Lily off easy.

"And send me a text when you get there, OK?" Gumi said to Lily.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Yes, MOTHER," she sighed.

"...sorry. But you make me worry. I wish you would stop doing that." Gumi hugged her step-sister for the fifth or sixth final time. "And let me know if you get the gig back home, so that I can come see you."

"Only if you promise not to bring anyone else with you," Lily said. "We're cool, but no one else, OK?"

"Promise," Gumi said as she stood back from her final hug. "Take care of my STUPID SISTER for me, Ruko!"

Ruko took off her sunglasses and gave Gumi a salute and a wave. "You got it. Ready, Lily?"

"Yep." Lily jumped in, and the van pulled away as Gumi sadly waved goodbye.

"I love that little green-haired goof," Lily sighed, "but HOO BOY is she CLINGY."

"Does she have a boyfriend yet?" Ruko asked.

"I don't think so," Lily said. "She's a sweet girl, but at the same time, I feel sorry for the poor guy that she ATTACHES herself to... Ooh, speaking of boys? Beefcake at two o'clock!"

Lily suddenly pulled off her T-shirt, leaned out of her window in her bra, and waved her arms at a small group of male college students as Ruko drove past them. "WOO HOO!!" Lily shouted. "IT'S PARTY TIME BOIZ!!"

"For goodness' sakes, Lily," said an amused Ruko. "I know you're happy to be back on the road, but keep it in your pants, would you?"

"Does that mean I have to put my T-shirt back on?" Lily asked smugly as she sat back.

"On second thought," Ruko said, "let's look for another group of hot men so that you pull your shorts off too."

—

After a long day on the road with stops only for gas, Ruko pulled off the highway early in the evening and took the van down along an access road. The well-paved road curved back towards the highway, and dead-ended in a small parking lot under a high bridge and next to a small and shallow riverlet.

"Oh wow," Lily said. "This place is great. We'll even get light from the bridge lamps."

"I was hoping this was still here and still open," Ruko said as she shut off the engine. "My parents stopped here once for an impromptu picnic with me, but that was at least ten years go. I have no idea how THEY found it."

Lily stood up, and then grimaced. "Uh oh," she said. "Where's the bathroom?"

"I'm afraid there's no facilities out here." Ruko reached into the van behind the driver's seat, pulled out a roll of toilet paper and tossed it to Lily, and then pointed. "I'd head for those bushes near the base of the bridge."

"No peeking," Lily said as she trotted away. "That is, unless you're into that sort of thing."

"Lily?" said Ruko. "I love you, but EWW." She opened the back of the van, unrolled the closest blanket, and then rummaged through some bags and began to pull out food and bottled water.

A moment later, Lily returned, tossed the roll back into the van, and then sat next to Ruko. "It looks like we've ended up eating government cheese," Lily said, "and living in a van down by the river."

"It's generic cheese spread," Ruko noted, "but otherwise, that's about right. I wonder where I went wrong?"

"That's what you get for hanging with the wrong crowd." Lily began to devour an orange. "It looks like the water is clean and clear. Wanna go for a skinny-dip after we eat?"

Ruko munched on cheese and crackers. "I'd like to wash my face and brush my teeth," she said, "but I don't know about swimming. Today was a warm day, but it's still only late May. The water will still be awfully cold."

"I thought you didn't mind the cold," Lily said in a teasing voice.

"And I thought you hated the cold," Ruko teased Lily back.

"I do," Lily said, "but sometimes ya just gotta man up and take it like a woman... Hey Ruko? Thanks again for coming with me. We're making some great memories."

"I'm glad you don't mind bunking out in the country by ourselves. I know you're more of a suburban succubus."

"Well, I'm not about to clear a homestead and build a log cabin, but it's definitely more fun than some boring chain motel. Pass the cheese and crackers?"

Ruko handed them to Lily, took a banana for herself and opened it, and then stood up. "I'll get the towels. If we're going down to the water's edge, it'd be best to go now, and then get back to the van before night falls."

"Good idea. I'm almost done eating anyway. You don't get much of an appetite from snoozing in the passenger seat all afternoon." Lily stood up, and then took off her bra and panties. "I think I'll cheat and leave my sandals on," she said. "I saw some broken glass back there."

"That's a good idea too," Ruko said. "I'm only wading, but I'll wear my shoes up to the water's edge. Hang on, let me lock up the van."

"Ooh! You should lock me out of the van naked at least once on this trip," Lily said eagerly.

"Well, not here," Ruko said as she followed Lily up to the riverlet. "That would be too dangerous out here in the dark. But if you like that scenario, I'll keep it in mind."

"Awesome. Last one in's a rotten egg!" Lily splashed into knee-deep water like a child, and then she screamed like a banshee. "EEEEEEEE!!"

"Cold, isn't it," Ruko said mildly as she waded in more carefully.

"HOLY ****ING **** THIS IS COLD!!" Lily shrieked. "I'M FREEZIN' MY **** OFF!!"

"Want a towel?" Ruko began to turn back.

"NOT YET!! BUT COVER YOUR EARS!!" Lily found a deep spot, crouched down and submerged herself briefly. And then, she stood up again, and if possible, she shrieked even more loudly. "EEEEEEEE!!"

"Having fun?" Ruko asked as she splashed her face. "Ooh, that IS cold."

"I'VE NEVER FELT MORE ALIVE!!" Lily screamed. "AND ALSO, I'M GONNA DIE!!"

"At least you felt alive before you died," Ruko noted. "C'mon, let's cut this short and head back to the van."

"ONE MORE TIME FOR SCIENCE!!" Lily cried. She dunked herself one more time, and then she shrieked again. "EEEEEEEE!! OK, I'M DONE NOW!! GIMME DAT TOWEL!!"

"C'mere, you idiot." Ruko began to towel Lily off herself. "Gosh, Lily, you're shaking like a leaf. Don't go and make yourself sick before your first gig."

"I'll b-b-be OK," Lily stammered. "I've g-g-got you to k-k-keep me warm."

"I wasn't planning on cuddling with a Lily-sized ice cube," Ruko said, "but I'll see what I can do."

—

Ruko had unlocked the van, unrolled the futon in the back, stripped to her underwear, and climbed in, while Lily finished drying herself. And then, Lily followed Ruko into the futon and closed the back doors behind her.

"Hey, Ruko?" asked Lily. "We're gonna 'christen' the van tonight, aren't we?"

"Oh, well, sure." Ruko squirmed in the futon, and then pulled out her own underwear and set it aside. "But in that case, let's get you warmed up properly first. Sorry, but cold hands and cold feet aren't very romantic."

Lily sighed happily as Ruko rubbed her hands. "Oh, that feels so good after being so cold. We should join a 'Polar Bear Club'."

"I don't know about that," Ruko said, "but we could find a health club with a sauna and a cold plunge pool."

"I don't even want to think about having to join a HEALTH CLUB," Lily said sadly. "But I have put on weight since I started living with you."

"It looks good on you, Lily. It's not healthy to be too skinny. If you do get sick, you need some reserves... Feeling better now?"

"Much better, thanks." Lily snuggled up against Ruko. "Are my feet cold?"

"Nah. You're good." Ruko kissed Lily's forehead, and then, her lips.

"Hey, Ruko?" said Lily. "Before we go too far, could we talk about somethin'?"

"Of course. What is it, sweetie?" Ruko asked softly as she held Lily tightly.

"Will life with you always be like this?" Lily asked.

Ruko frowned. "Sorry, I'm not following you."

"I mean, can I keep doing stupid things like trying to earn a living by playing guitar in bars and coffeehouses? And can I keep running around naked, playing weird silly games and skinny-dipping?" Lily asked. "And if I do, will you always be there to watch me, and to laugh at me, and to help me when I get myself into trouble?"

"Yes," Ruko said, "if that's what you want—"

"No, honey," Lily said. "I want to know if that's what YOU want. I want to be sure this life is what you really want. I want to be sure that you wouldn't rather be alone under the coffeehouse, listening to me through the floor, but never coming out to see me."

"Yes," Ruko said firmly. "Yes, Lily. Yes. A thousand times yes. I love being with you, and being weird with you, and laughing with you, and making you laugh at me. Yes."

Lily took a deep breath. "OK. Then I'm in too."

"I'm still not following you, sweetie," Ruko said.

"I'm glad that I got to go on this trip with you," Lily said, "but I also know that you're graduating from college next year. And then, you'll have a steady secure job with your family's business, and someday you'll own the business and run it yourself. I know that we probably won't be able to go on a trip like this again. And what I'm trying to say is that that's OK with me now."

"Are you sure?" Ruko asked gently. "I know that you've joked about being domesticated, but I don't want you to change what you are just to please me."

"I'm a troubadour, honey," Lily said. "That means I sing and play guitar, and I try to make enough coin to eat. And up until now, I thought that being a troubadour also meant that I had to run away from home, and live on my own, and never stay in one place for too long.

"But I've realized that I can be a troubadour, and I can also be naked and weird and silly with you. I can do both. And I want to do both.

"Let me put it like this. I used to say 'when' I leave... and then I would say 'if' I leave... but I don't think I'll be leaving now. I mean, if that's what you really want."

Lily felt Ruko hug her even more tightly. "I take it you like the idea," she said. "But don't hug me too tightly, or you might crack some ribs."

"I'm so happy, Lily," an unusually emotional Ruko said. "I'm so happy."

"Cool," Lily said. "OK, we can have sex now. I mean, unless there's anything you need to talk about first."

Ruko giggled and rubbed at her eyes. "No, I'm good. I'm great. I'm so happy."

"Oh, sorry, I do have one last thing," Lily said quickly. "I love you."

"I love you too," Ruko said.


End file.
